Even The Poor Must Pay Taxes
- Date: 2008-09-04 - Word Count: 426
Share This!
One of my friends just brought an interesting article to my attention. It's a Wall Street Journal opinion piece written by Ari Fleischer (former White House Press Secretary) entitled "The Taxpaying Minority." From the title you can guess he states the usual stats: top 40% of the population pays 99% of taxes, top 10% pay 71%, and the bottom 40% payNOTHING!
With the Earned Income Tax Credit many of these patriots even receive handouts by the federal government, taken from the rest of the chumps who pay taxes. When a large percentage of the population has no vested interest in the fiscal solvency of the state, they are prone to demand increasingly irresponsible programs until a crisis forces change. The Romans called the crisis "civil war" after which a dictatorship was established.
If 60% of the voting public can force 40% to pay the bills, what's to stop 90% of people in a democracy from making 10% pay it all? Or why not let 99% of the country off the hook, as long as the remaining 1% picks up the tab?
This is the inevitable consequence of inadequately constrained democracy, as illustrated by the British historian, Alexander Tyler, in his lifecycle of civilizations. "A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."
A basic rule of economics is that when something is free there is no incentive to curb consumption. When you don't pay taxes there is no reason for you to favor conservative fiscal policy. Starting a war or launching a fiscally-destructive social program lacks meaning unless you are directly responsible for the ensuing consequences.
We all derive benefit from living in a well-governed society. There is relative peace throughout the land, a refined legal system safeguards property and our lives, and an abundance of prosperity enables the majority of citizens to live better than medieval Lords. Of course the wealthier you are the more benefit you derive, so rich should pay the bulk of the bills. However, the middle class and even the poorest of us benefit. We must all pay our proportionate share or our civilization will lapse into dependent, complacent serfdom. I sincerely hope that America can get its act together and adjust its system of taxation to equitably distribute the burden.
With the Earned Income Tax Credit many of these patriots even receive handouts by the federal government, taken from the rest of the chumps who pay taxes. When a large percentage of the population has no vested interest in the fiscal solvency of the state, they are prone to demand increasingly irresponsible programs until a crisis forces change. The Romans called the crisis "civil war" after which a dictatorship was established.
If 60% of the voting public can force 40% to pay the bills, what's to stop 90% of people in a democracy from making 10% pay it all? Or why not let 99% of the country off the hook, as long as the remaining 1% picks up the tab?
This is the inevitable consequence of inadequately constrained democracy, as illustrated by the British historian, Alexander Tyler, in his lifecycle of civilizations. "A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."
A basic rule of economics is that when something is free there is no incentive to curb consumption. When you don't pay taxes there is no reason for you to favor conservative fiscal policy. Starting a war or launching a fiscally-destructive social program lacks meaning unless you are directly responsible for the ensuing consequences.
We all derive benefit from living in a well-governed society. There is relative peace throughout the land, a refined legal system safeguards property and our lives, and an abundance of prosperity enables the majority of citizens to live better than medieval Lords. Of course the wealthier you are the more benefit you derive, so rich should pay the bulk of the bills. However, the middle class and even the poorest of us benefit. We must all pay our proportionate share or our civilization will lapse into dependent, complacent serfdom. I sincerely hope that America can get its act together and adjust its system of taxation to equitably distribute the burden.
Related Tags: democracy, government, philosophy, taxes, politics, income tax, voting, socialism, right to vote, majority rule
Robert Viglione is a author, hedge fund manager, and real estate broker. A former military officer, he is passionate about promoting political and economic freedom. You can see more of his work on The Freedom Factory. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Third Term - The Obasanjo Syndrome ... Ambition and the Place of God
I recently read a post in a blog (multibrand.blogspot.com) concerning President SBY of Indonesia amb - Black Veterans Still Not Receiving Their Due
With a Black President, many discussions have been re-kindled regarding the treatment of Blacks in v - Are Green Party Candidates Converting Voters?
Have you noticed that the Green Party Convention is hosting a few training sessions which include th - The National Debt: Young Americans Are Inheriting a Sinking Ship
The greatest fundamental weakness of the United States of America is its national debt. Debt weighs - America Must Return to Its Free Market Roots
The United States is the most prosperous country in the world. Its economy has been a constant engin - Policies Of President Obama And Democratic Congress Severely Undermine Job Opportunities For Young Americans
For Young Americans, this is the worst job market in decades. Despite politicians claiming we are on - The Virtues Of A Limited Federal Government And Why America Must Return To The Limited Federal Republic Laid Out In The Constitution
I consider the foundation of the Constitution . . . that 'all powers not delegated to the United Sta - Young Americans Have Largest Stake In Maintaining A Strong Military And Effective Homeland Security Policies
Americans are truly blessed to live in a country protected by the most powerful and effective milita - Why Hitler Wanted To Ban Guns
Whenever the name Adolf Hitler is mentioned one automatically makes a connection to the Holocaust, N - What Happened To The Mohave County Downwinders?
I always get a bit frustrated when I hear that the reason Mohave County was excluded from the Radiat
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Designer Shoes Come First In Global Poll Of Most Wanted Accessories
For both men and women, shoes have long been an essential fashion item. In fact, many women in popul - New US Ambassador for Indonesia Named
The US government has appointed Cameron R. Hume as the next ambassador to Indonesia, reliable source - 1984 By George Orwell
1984 by George Orwell In the book "1984" Orwell criticizes totalitarianism of all types and brings - Chaos Theory: Bush's delusions & Iraq's destiny (Part 2)
The classic counter-insurgency strategy of the US consists of the "ink-blotch" approach. This involv - Will Israel Attack Iran (Part 2)
In November of last year, I wrote an article speculating about whether or not the Israelis would tak - Rodrigues Island 'autonomy'
Rodrigues Island: 'Autonomy' The first few pages were qui - Obama Is Coming, Clear The Way!
"Obama biro, yawne yo!" (Obama is coming, clear the way)—Tens of thousands of cheering Luo "Tr - African Tribes
African Tribes In this article the economies and lifestyles of such African tribes as the Lele and - This Is Not Your Dad's Republican Party Anymore
Stock markets are strange because they reflect the sum total of all our hopes, fears and prejudices - How to Drastically Reduce our Foreign Oil Dependency While Saving you Money at the Pump
If you watch or listen to the news, discussions come up all the time about the price of a barrel of